
Bionaz (pronunciation Biòna) consists of 21 small villages scattered over the sunniest slope, on the lower side of the area.
Books on the area describe Bionaz as:
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a village in Aosta Valley holding the record of high mountains, as 70% of its territory is higher than the highest pastures;
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a village which has had the same population since 1860 (quite a rare fact);
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a village surrounded by glaciers;
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the village of walser legends;
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the village of sunlight and high peaks;
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the village famous for “fontina” cheese;
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a boundless kingdom for mountain-climbers;
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an almost unknown and uncontaminated village;
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the village with the largest arch-gravity dam in Italy;
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a mountain pearl;
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a unique, picturesque alpine pasture;
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a hospitable mountain refuge.
But Bionaz is also something more difficult to describe: it is the magic of traditions which, thanks to particular historical and geographical circumstances, have remained uncontaminated in the course of ages.